Improvement in washing-machines



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W. PRICE. l Washing-Machine.

No. 217,549. l Patented July 15,1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OTT-Ionc WILLIAM PRICE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO;

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217.549, dated July 15,1879 application filed August 17, 1878. l

' its objects to more thoroughly utilize the steam,

and to provide a machine that shall more perfectly separate the dirtfrom the clothing at a less expense of power and with less wear upon theclothes, while being simple in construction and easy and convenient ofmanagement.

To these ends my invention consists, first,

. in certain means for more thoroughly securing the bearing thatsupports the agitatingdasher; second, in a certain construction wherebythe dashers and dasher-shaft may be elevated and held in that positionwithout opening the tub and thus allowing the steam to escape into theroom, and at the same time the reciprocating device (whereby the dashersare agitated) may be thrown out of gear; third, in a certainconstruction whereby the dasher, its bearing, and the lids of the tubmay be easily elevated and suspended, to enable the deposit and removalof clothes from the tub; fourth, in a peculiar construction of thedasher shaft and radial arm (through which motion is imparted to thedashers), and

the bearings of the shaft, whereby the three may be rmly united togetherand as easily separated for repairs; fifth, in certain means ofoperating the dasher through a radiallyextending arm by means of areciprocating rod 5 sixth, in a peculiar construction whereby thereciprocating rod and radial dasher-arm may be connected or disengagedwhile the rod is in motion, to start or stop the motion of the dasher.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of mymachine. Fig. 2 is a partial central sectional elevation of my machine,the lids being removed and the top parts broken away. Fig. '3 is a topview of Fig. 4 is a central sectional elevation of the upper part of thewaste-pipe. Fig. 5 shows a series of my machines in plan.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a provided with friction-rollers.

Referring to the drawings, A is the cleansing chamber or tub, mountedupon suitable platform B, and between vertical posts C. The tub at thebottom is provided with a waste-pipe, a, provided with a stop-cock, a4.The ilange of this waste -pipe is sunk flush with the bottom of the tub,as shown in Fig. 4., and is provided with a depression, into which isplaced the strainer a2. This strainer is supported by the usual radialsupports a3 across the mouth of the waste-pipe. In this machine, as thewaste-pipe is large, the number of radial supports a3 is preferably liveor six.

The tub is preferably of the usual shape, slightly wider at the top thanat the bottom, and it is provided at the bottom with a steampipe, D,about the center thereof, and which pi pe pierces the bottom until itscollar d comes in contact therewith, where it is secured by means ofscrew-head E and awatertight gasket, F.

The collar d may fit against the bottom of the platform B. The head E isformed with a iiat circular horizontal chamber, opening out through theperiphery thereof into the tub. This chamber connects directly with thesteam-pipe D, so that steam may be admitted thereto and be caused toenter the tub and forced out laterally under the clothes in alldirections from its periphery.

By this means the steam is distributed evenly throughout the tub, andcomes in con tact with every part of the clothing submitted forcleansing, thereby securing a most perfect utilization of the steam.

The steam serves to loosen the dirt in the clothing, and in order toseparate it therefrom, as well as to continually change the position ofthe clothing so that new portions shall be brought in direct contactwith the steam, I have provided an agitating-dasher, G. This dasherconsists of upright paddles g, in rectangular form, secured near theirupper ends to radial arms H, secured by bolts to a hub, I. The hub I isprovided witlra shaft, J, to extend upward through a cross piece, K, andsupports the dasher in the tub.

guide-plate By reason of the fact that the paddles g are secured to theradial arms H by their upper ends only, their lower ends are smooth anddisencumbered, to enable their engaging freely with the clothing in thetub, and their corners are carefully roundedto prevent injury to theclothes. It has been found in practice that a very slight motion of thedasller is sufficient to agitate the clothing so as to free thepreviously-loosened dirt and change the position of the clothes, andconsequently I have arranged the said dasher to oscillate aboutoneeighth of a revolution, although the movement may be made greater ifdesired.

The cross-piece K rests across the top edges of the tub, and by reasonofthe slots k, formed in its ends, it embraces the posts C, and restsupon blocks L upon the sides thereof. The supporting-surfaces of theblocks are inclined toward the tub and in the line of the crosspiece,whose ends are correspondingly beveled, so that when secured fromvertical play by the clasps M and staples N it will also be securedagainst horizontal play, as will be readily seen.

The clasps M are provided with anti-friction rings m, to enable theeasier fastening of the cross-piece. The ends of the cross-piece K arealso provided with upwardly-extending guideplates O, which embrace theposts C, and

, serve to steady the movement of the crosspiece when elevated ordepressed. When desired these guide-plates 0 may be provided withfriction-rollers, as shown in Fig. 6.

Hinged upon each side of the cross-piece K are lids A A', formed tosnugly cover the tub, and provided with stiffening-strips a* al above,and with flanges b b beneath, to conform closely to the inner surface ofthe tub, and serve to tighten the joint between tub and lids. Acontinuation of the anges b bis formed upon the under side of thecross-piece, as shown.

To support the dasher Gr when in operation, its shaft J is provided witha downwardly-extending annular bearing, P, which rests in the groove ofa corresponding annular plate, Q, on the cross-piece.

By this construction the bearing may be nicely lubricated withoutpermitting thelubricant to drop into the cleansing-chamber, as thegroove in the plate Q securely retains it.

The shaft J is preferably made hollow, as shown, and in its upper end isscrewed a bushing, j, into which latter is screwed a pin, J The bushingj is formed with a countersunk cavity at its top, which may serve as anoilreceptacle to take up the superuous lubricant at the brace R,immediately above it. When preferred, the bushing j may be cast solidwith shaft J.

The brace R is supported from the crosspiece, as shown, and serves tosteady the shaft J. The pin J1 passes through an opening in the brace R,and over its top is screwed a cap, J2. This cap J2 has a hole passingthrough .its top, through which passes a hand-rope, U,

which is prevented from being detached from the cap by a knot in theinterior of the cap.

Secured to the top of the brace R is a rope, S, preferably made of Wire,which runs over pulleys s, and is provided at its other end with aweight, T. to nearly counterbalance the dasher, cross-head, anddependent devices. To elevate the said dasher, cross-head, 85e., rope Uis used. rlhis rope runs up over guidepulleys u', and is provided with ahandle at its free end. When the dasher is elevated by pulling on therope U, it inay be secured by pushing the handle under the fork u on thepost C, the rope running between the tines of the fork.

The weight T, it will readily be seen, serves to assist the operator inelevating the dasher, cross piece, and lids, which it is desirable, ifnot necessary, to do in order to introduce clothing to the tub or removeit therefrom.

Secured to the shaft J, above the cross-piece K, is a radial arm,V,which, in this case, passes through the annular bearing P, as well asthe shaft, and secures it in position. The end of the arm which passesthrough the bearingshaft, dasher-arms, and dasher-blades willimmediately drop to the bottom of the tub. If, now, the tub-covering iselevated so high that the cross-piece K is entirely above the upper endof the shaft, the shaft and dashers can be taken out for repairs. Uponbeing replaced in the tub, (the dasher-shaft passing throughlcross-pieceK and brace R,) and the nut J2 screwed on the end of shaftJ, arm V being also placed through the shaft and bearing-collar, and thenut being tightly screwed onto the end of said arm, the whole is readyfor work again.

` It will be noticed that, on account of the peculiar construction ofthe machine, upon the hand-rope U being pulled the iirst result would bethat the shaft J, together with the arm V, passing through it andbearing-collar P, would be elevated. Upon the hand-rope U being pulledfarther down, the bushing J l would come in contact with the brace R,and the dasher-paddles would come in contact with cross-piece K. -Assoon as this happens, and further power is placed upon rope U, the Wholetop of the tub, together with the shaft and its attachments, iselevated, the countenbalance T coming in to aid the operator. The objectof this arrangement, whereby the pulling down of hand-rope U through thefirst two or three inches results only in elevating the dasher.

shaft and its attachments, is very important. It enables the operatorinstantly and easily to throw the radial arm and the reciprocatingdevices, which will be described hereinafter, out of gear withoutstopping the motion of said reciprocating rod. The importance of this ismore apparent when there are a number of tubs arranged to be worked byone rod. (See Fig. 5.)

Secured to suitable frame-work W upon the platform B is a horizontalreciprocating rod, X, which is provided with vertical projections w, toengage the free end of flasher-arm` V.

These projections are in the nature of setscrews, passing through acollar, m', which they bind to the rod in any desired position, and thusx their position.

Inasmuch as it is intended to disen gage the arm V from the rod X whenit is desired to stop the machine, one of the projections x is shorterthan the other.

When the radial arm V is elevated, as described, the shorter projectionno longer engages it, while the longer one does. rlhe result is that armV receives a sharp blow from the longer projection, and is knockedaround so far that it will no longer be engaged by thc sleeve orprojections on rod X. When it is desired to reconnect them, the arm V isdropped between the projections while they are in motion without rod Xbeing stopped.

To render this operation easier, and to reduce the friction of theconnection, the projections are provided with friction-washerstt'. Therod X is usually provided with a device to prevent its rotation, and ispreferably reciprocated by steam, but may be operated by When operatedby steam it may beincreased in length, in sections, or otherwise, andserve to operate a series of washing devices, like that shown in Fig. 5.

The construction whereby the agitating device may be thrown out of gearwithout elevating the tub-covering prevents the escape of steam into theroom, and also the loss of heat and steam that would follow. rlhe sudscan be removed from the tub by opening the faucet a, and rinse-water canbe introduced through a tube or pipe in the upper part of the sidev ofthe tub or in the cover without opening the tub and allowing the steamto fill the room.

Having thus l described my invention, I claiml. In a washingmachine, incombination with the dashcr thereof, the cross-piece K, secured againstinclined blocks L, whereby horizontal as well as vertical play isprevented, substantially as specified.

2. The flasher-bearing shaft J, in combination with the radial arm V andthe actuating rod X, working in the direction of its length, as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the vertical dasherbearing shaft J and the radialarmi V, locking the shaft and bearing-collar P together, as shown,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

et. In combination with the tub-covering and flasher-bearing shaft, thecord Si, provided with Weight T, and the hand-rope U, the former-namely,cord S-being attached to the tub-coverin g, and the latter-namely, ropeU-being attached to the dasher-shaft, for the purposes specied.

5. The combination, in a washing-machine, of an elevatinglope, U, amovable dasherbearing shaft, radial arm V, reciprocating rod X, andengaging device x x', all arranged substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

WILLIAM PRICE.`

Attest:

J. GILLIGAN, W. S. GHRIsToPHER.

